Train accidents in U.S. declining; most in Mass. have been suicides

Staff reports

Wednesday

Mar 26, 2008 at 12:01 AMMar 26, 2008 at 6:20 PM

Accidents at grade crossings are the second most common cause of railroad deaths in the country, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. But by far, trespassing on the tracks’ right-of-way is the most deadly mistake made on the nation’s railways.

Accidents at grade crossings are the second most common cause of railroad deaths in the country, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. But by far, trespassing on the tracks’ right-of-way is the most deadly mistake made on the nation’s railways.

Over a 10-year period in Massachusetts, there were 57 trespasser deaths, 12 deaths at grade crossings and only one death in a train accident, according to Federal Railroad Administration statistics.

Massachusetts’ rail fatalities are a small fraction of those occurring nationwide: During the same decade-long period, there were 5,017 trespasser deaths, 3,930 grade-crossing deaths and 117 train accident deaths overall.

The Plymouth and Middleboro Old Colony lines reopened in 1997. Since then there have been 11 suicides on the lines, one undetermined death and three deaths ruled accidents.

The accidental deaths were:

Vanda Depina, 20, who in 2002 was struck while crossing the tracks in Brockton.

Lauren Branco, 26, who in 2003 was struck while walking next to tracks near the Pine Street crossing in Abington.

Kelly Boyd, 15, of Abington, who was struck at the Pine Street crossing in June 1998.

The number of train accidents across the nation declined for the third consecutive year in 2007, according to preliminary data released this month by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters.

According to that data, there have been 833 fewer train accidents, or a 24.6 percent decline, from 2004 to 2007.